Gov. Brad Little directing $1 million toward fighting fentanyl

IDAHO — Gov. Brad Little announced Thursday that he is directing $1 million dollars to combat the fight against fentanyl in the state of Idaho.

Little presented the findings of “Operation Esto Perpetua" Thursday, his action group focused on reducing the flow of drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine into Idaho.

Between March and May of 2022, the citizen's action group on fentanyl, including lawmakers and law enforcement officials, held public meetings across the state to get input from different Idaho communities and local law enforcement agencies.

He said the $1 million will be used in many ways to combat the issue in the coming weeks. One includes purchasing more roadside testing equipment as well as launching a new media campaign to educate Idahoans on the dangers of the drugs.

“This is not a one solution problem we’ve got to everything from significantly increasing awareness of the public, particularly young people. We’ve got the fight back against the supply coming in,” Little said.

Little also says law enforcement in the border counties must be prioritized and an increase in resources will be needed.

“A trace of fentanyl the size of a grain of salt is enough to kill you, and many times it is laced into other pills or drugs – even black-market vape cartridges – and you won’t even know it. Meth and fentanyl seizures have dramatically increased in Idaho and across the country. We must act now. Given the magnitude of the problem, we are acting immediately to turn the tide and protect Idaho families,” Little said.

Idaho State Police also has deployed $250,000 approved by the Idaho Legislature earlier this year as part of the Governor’s “Leading Idaho” plan. According to a press release funds are being used to hire more investigators and increase patrol hours for drug interdiction.

For more information about Operation Esto Perpetua, click here.